"I was training to be an electrician. I suppose I got wired the wrong way round somewhere along the line"
About this Quote
That posture matters. Presley’s fame arrived fast, loud, and culturally radioactive, tangled up with class, region, and race in 1950s America. Saying he got “wired the wrong way round” lets him acknowledge the improbability without sounding precious about it. It’s humility with a grin, a way to dodge both bragging and self-pity. He’s not claiming he was destined to change music; he’s implying he’s a working-class kid who took a wrong turn and never found the offramp.
The subtext is also defensive. In an era when people moralized celebrity as either divine gift or moral failing, Elvis offers a third option: malfunction. That’s disarming, almost charmingly mechanical, but it carries a darker aftertaste. A life spent as a live circuit - overstimulated, overmanaged, always “on” - can sound like success and warning at the same time.
Quote Details
| Topic | Puns & Wordplay |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Presley, Elvis. (2026, January 15). I was training to be an electrician. I suppose I got wired the wrong way round somewhere along the line. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-was-training-to-be-an-electrician-i-suppose-i-19370/
Chicago Style
Presley, Elvis. "I was training to be an electrician. I suppose I got wired the wrong way round somewhere along the line." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-was-training-to-be-an-electrician-i-suppose-i-19370/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I was training to be an electrician. I suppose I got wired the wrong way round somewhere along the line." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-was-training-to-be-an-electrician-i-suppose-i-19370/. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.





